The present invention relates to a pipe mounting unit with grounding function, particularly a pipe mounting unit for mounting pipes such as fuel pipes to the body of an automobile or other vehicle and that is provided with a grounding function to let static electricity escape to the vehicle body.
In the prior art, a pipe mounting unit with grounding function is constructed with an externally-applied metal stay wound around a conductive rubber clamp that holds the pipe in contact with the interior ((only the rubber (or plastic) clamp is shown in Patent Reference 2)); this metal stay is fixed to a stud bolt welded to the vehicle body using a nut with a peel-off coating. In this construction, when the nut is screwed into the stud bolt, the externally-applied metal stay tightens as the nut peels off the rust free coating of the stud bolt. In this way, a conductive path is formed for the escape of static electricity between the pipe and the vehicle body. Also, conversely, the construction can have the nut welded to the vehicle body and the external metal stay fixed to this nut using a bolt with a peel-off coating.
Also, in Patent Reference 1, a construction is described in which a conductive support element supporting the fuel pipe is fixed directly to the bolt without using a stay as in the above. In this construction, a box nut is used as a nut with a peel-off coating.
Also, in Patent Reference 2, a construction is described in which, by overlapping a first part and a second part connecting the above-mentioned conductive rubber clamp by a hinge, the second part is fixed to the vehicle body panel. In this construction, by hooking a flexible hooking finger provided on the second part into a shank (for example, the axial part of a stud bolt) of a fastener fixed to the vehicle body panel, the conductive rubber clamp is fixed to the vehicle body panel and in this way, a conductive path is formed by which the static electricity between the pipe held in contact by the conductive rubber clamp, and the vehicle body panel escapes.
Furthermore, in Patent Reference 3, a pipe mounting unit is described provided with a clamp that holds the pipe body, a bolt insertion hole for inserting a bolt that protrudes from the body panel, and a stopping nut provided singly in a temporary fit to the one end aperture of this bolt insertion hole. In this pipe mounting unit, a clip is constructed for possible assembly which provides a latching claw for temporarily stopping the bolt in the other end aperture of the bolt insertion hole.